Costa del Sol, Spain. Map Feedback Required.

WendyA

Posted 03 October 2012 - 06:27 AM

WendyA

Newbie

Validated Member

6 posts

Gender:Female

Location:Malaga, Spain

Spain

Hi, new here and setting out on the lumps and bumps of getting from original idea to published map!

I am based on the Costa del Sol (Spain) and in the 12 years of living here, have noticed there are no small scale decent maps to be had! Not even from the likes of Collins, Michelin, AA, Rough Guides etc. So I have started out with a hand drawn version keeping it very simple.. to enable anyone who lands here to get from A to B and hopefully not get lost.

The actual design (shown on link below) was done by a professional designer from my hand drawn version. (They are not a specialist map designer, but I must say I am very impressed with the results. It is just what I had imagined.) The name Landmark came up as at least on nearly every roundabout along the coast there is a unique statue or symbol to pin point where you are. (There are also Kilometer markings along the main roads, but you have to know to look for them in the first place.)

I am looking for:

A) General Feedback - on the map itself and

B )** How on earth do I go about finding a forward thinking UK (?) based publishing house to work with me to get it to market. (I am prepared to give exclusive publishing rights, as I know it will be a best seller with the right company.)

I cannot afford to self publish, as I am short of money to get the design work finished and B do not have the marketing skills that I know will be required.

(*re Tulip Design. (sorry if I am talking to the converted here The type rally drivers use in areas where there are few actual road signs - which is very true of Spain!)

PS - I am looking at the map as an APP later on down the line, but this is another 'work in progress.'

** NB Re Uk Publishing houses - I have approached several and get the same rebuffal - 'We have our own in-house design/map making team,' We have licensing restrictions and can only use our sister company X. etc...

FORMAT:The map has been designed as an A5 spiral bound booklet.Quality laminated paper for non-crease and washability.Design allows for spiral to be in bleed at center, and not obstructing the actual map.Clear, easy to use from Malaga Airport in East, to Gibraltar in the West. The 2 main arterial roads shown on each page, with green 'recommended route' in-between. And return route.

Dennis McClendon

Posted 03 October 2012 - 01:03 PM

I'm usually a big fan of diagrammatic maps, but I have to say this one leaves me completely baffled about what it's showing and how to navigate.

I think creating something that's a lot more familiar-looking would probably be a better approach, at least for sales to folks who are used to Michelin, auto club, or other European-style road maps.

As far as publishing, have you looked at approaches like Amazon's CreateSpace? That would allow you to print 40, sell them to outlets, then print 40 more with the proceeds, etc. It completely changes the typical front-loaded economics of publishing.

WendyA

Posted 06 October 2012 - 06:24 AM

I'm usually a big fan of diagrammatic maps, but I have to say this one leaves me completely baffled about what it's showing and how to navigate.

I think creating something that's a lot more familiar-looking would probably be a better approach, at least for sales to folks who are used to Michelin, auto club, or other European-style road maps.

As far as publishing, have you looked at approaches like Amazon's CreateSpace? That would allow you to print 40, sell them to outlets, then print 40 more with the proceeds, etc. It completely changes the typical front-loaded economics of publishing.

Hi Dennis, Thanks for your feedback. Sorry to hear it is too pared down for use. We took this approach as it is so baffling at all the non - road signage, that we took it back to basics of the two main roads that run East to West (from Malaga to Gibraltar). Also the petrol stations, landmarks of actual symbols on the myriad of roundabouts is supposed to pin point the user to where they are on the map. But for some I guess it doesn't work.

Perhaps we are trying to be a bit too radical in our approach.

Thanks for the pointer to the Amazon site. Will take a look. (We have had a definate 'We will take X copies' from one of the leading London map stores, so this would help us to see if we are on the right track.)

Essentially this solution does for maps what iTunes, iBooks and Kindle have done for music and books.So it gives publishers an outlet to the digital market without the cost and uncertainty of producing, marketing and maintaining their own app.

This is not to say that paper maps are dead but as industries shift to new and additional media of consumption the producers must adapt accordingly or die. Think about Blockbuster, Kodak and Borders for example.

CheersTed

Hi, new here and setting out on the lumps and bumps of getting from original idea to published map!

I am based on the Costa del Sol (Spain) and in the 12 years of living here, have noticed there are no small scale decent maps to be had! Not even from the likes of Collins, Michelin, AA, Rough Guides etc. So I have started out with a hand drawn version keeping it very simple.. to enable anyone who lands here to get from A to B and hopefully not get lost.

The actual design (shown on link below) was done by a professional designer from my hand drawn version. (They are not a specialist map designer, but I must say I am very impressed with the results. It is just what I had imagined.) The name Landmark came up as at least on nearly every roundabout along the coast there is a unique statue or symbol to pin point where you are. (There are also Kilometer markings along the main roads, but you have to know to look for them in the first place.)

I am looking for:

A) General Feedback - on the map itself and

B )** How on earth do I go about finding a forward thinking UK (?) based publishing house to work with me to get it to market. (I am prepared to give exclusive publishing rights, as I know it will be a best seller with the right company.)

I cannot afford to self publish, as I am short of money to get the design work finished and B do not have the marketing skills that I know will be required.

(*re Tulip Design. (sorry if I am talking to the converted here The type rally drivers use in areas where there are few actual road signs - which is very true of Spain!)

PS - I am looking at the map as an APP later on down the line, but this is another 'work in progress.'

** NB Re Uk Publishing houses - I have approached several and get the same rebuffal - 'We have our own in-house design/map making team,' We have licensing restrictions and can only use our sister company X. etc...

FORMAT:The map has been designed as an A5 spiral bound booklet.Quality laminated paper for non-crease and washability.Design allows for spiral to be in bleed at center, and not obstructing the actual map.Clear, easy to use from Malaga Airport in East, to Gibraltar in the West. The 2 main arterial roads shown on each page, with green 'recommended route' in-between. And return route.

WendyA

Posted 17 October 2012 - 06:52 AM

WendyA

Newbie

Validated Member

6 posts

Gender:Female

Location:Malaga, Spain

Spain

This is not to say that paper maps are dead but as industries shift to new and additional media of consumption the producers must adapt accordingly or die. Think about Blockbuster, Kodak and Borders for example.

CheersTed

Thanks Ted, This is sort of what I was thinking. Your comment above also answers in part my other thread on Business Pages re print v's digital!

Justin R. Miller

Posted 06 November 2012 - 12:31 PM

Justin R. Miller

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New Member

3 posts

United States

Just wanted to chip in here. I'm based in Portland but for a brief time we lived in Marbella, so this brings me back :-)

I like the "radical" design. This would have been useful to think about travel along the coast, though we did frequently take the bus as we didn't have a car there. But I like the linear progression to the map from west to east. For 6.50 I probably would have bought it in printed form.

Full disclosure: I'm a programmer, so maybe that's why it appeals to me, too.

Michael Karpovage

Posted 14 November 2012 - 01:43 PM

Michael Karpovage

Master Contributor

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197 posts

Gender:Male

Location:Roswell, GA

Interests:Making beautiful, functional maps

United States

Wendy A,

I have to say I am with Dennis on this one. I really expected more when you mentioned "Landmark Map." Your design certainly functions as a regional 2D road map but I think you have to offer more value if you want to be competitive as a product for sale. I'm assuming you're going after the tourism market there. So, with that in mind to me a landmark map is typical of showing a small icon representing the popular landmark not a company logo for a gas station or fast food joint. Here are some amazing examples of landmark maps that also function as navigational maps from one of the best in the world, Jean-Louis Rheault:

These type of 3D pictorial maps still get you from point A to point B but they offer so much more in capturing the feel for terrain and actually showing important landmarks. You're on the right track and you can do this with your 2D flat map. Here is an examples of that:

For print purposes I think your spiral binding cutting into the map design is a negative. I would try perfect binding or even saddlestitch. Here is a print on demand printer I use for my novel. Very cost effective and great quality. Lightning Source. And then they also set you up with an Amazon and a Barnes and Noble account for digital sales.

Hope I wasn't overly critical and I do hope this feedback helps.

By the way, check out a map I did for Nerja, Spain.... well to the east:• Nerja, Spain

WendyA

Posted 19 December 2012 - 05:36 AM

WendyA

Newbie

Validated Member

6 posts

Gender:Female

Location:Malaga, Spain

Spain

Hi Michael ^ Many thanks for taking the time to give positive feedback. I see all feedback in some positive light - even if I make a judgement in another direction for personal reasons. So please keep firing back!

I have looked at the 3D models, and whilst I like them a lot, for me, the whole point is the pared down linear effort. The landmarks/icons are not finished yet and are a work in progress. I did photograph all of the actual landmarks (bull on roundabout etc), and put them as they were direct onto the map but they didn't look right. But I think I am getting nearer to it....
If you have time to look at pages 16 & 17 of the flipsnack example (a work in progress) the bull and the light house are trials of how to get the photos into symbols that a) fit with the 'look' of the map and are still recognizable. (I have a few more examples since this pdf of the map in progress was run off, but have yet to finalize what will actually work.)

With regard the 'petrol station' and other symbols, I think I am going to have to drop these due to copyright issues. But I do think a generic petrol pump symbol will remain, as will a WC as part of this - as anyone who has been in Spain knows there are virtually no public loos. So an important piece of information.

Regarding the spiral binding, the printed area has been designed so that nothing runs into the spiral and there is essentially a bleed to stop this happening. But it was just a suggestion put forward by the designer. Again, more to the decision making process!

Thanks again for all the input.

I will be touting the map around The London Book Fair in April 2013, and in the meantime am approaching all/every map agent/publisher I can find prior to the event in the hope of securing a deal!

As they say, 'If you don't try,' etc

ps - Understand where you are coming from Justin. Sometimes simple is best